Solutions to housing need to be more realistic

1 week ago 6

The NSW government’s “theoretical capacity” exemplary sounds suspiciously similar wishful reasoning (“Housing transportation figures successful doubt”, May 6). The lodging occupation requires realistic and real-time solutions – a origin not evident successful the readying truthful far. Philip Cooney, Wentworth Falls

House prices person benefited from argumentation stimulus, but astatine a important outgo to lodging affordability.

I person precocious learned that a vacancy residential onshore taxation volition travel into unit successful Victoria connected January 1, 2025 and volition use to the presumption of spot from the commencement of the 2024 calendar year. This taxation volition summation to 3 per cent of the superior improved worth by the 3rd year. I would anticipation that the NSW authorities volition see implementing akin authorities that could merchandise galore present vacant properties backmost onto the market. A spot down maine has present been vacant since 2002. Council says it tin bash thing arsenic the proprietor pays his rates. Valerie Bray, East Killara

I warrant that each planner successful section authorities tin sanction astatine slightest fractional a twelve sites successful their assembly country wherever a section spot owner’s refusal to merchantability to oregon amalgamate with neighbouring sites has either stopped a redevelopment, sometimes for decades, oregon led to a little than optimal improvement arsenic different owners enactment around, alternatively than with them. “Theoretical capacity” is simply a utile excessively but it is disingenuous astatine champion and dishonest astatine worst to contiguous it to the nationalist arsenic a apt people to conscionable successful lodging provision. Gina Hay, Bayview

One has to wonderment astatine what constituent Australian media and authorities volition disengage from the “supply, not request the cause” communicative power fiercely dictated by the spot manufacture implicit the “housing crisis”. We present person connected the aforesaid time 2 reports that lend to this. Firstly, an existent analysis, by an uncharacteristically committed assemblage professor, of the widely-unquestioned statistic paraded by spot lobby radical Property Council of Australia connected April 26, purportedly showing that the avalanche of “foreign students” - aka “cheap, exploitable labour connected the side” - doesn’t person immoderate effect connected the lodging squeeze. Amazingly enough, they marque a monolithic difference, if 1 isn’t complicit oregon analytically illiterate.
Secondly, the long-overdue reminder that monolithic amounts of soiled money, notably foreign, person agelong been laundered and offshored into Australian existent estate, much than casinos, keeping the marketplace red-hot and contributing to our wholly manufactured demand. Add our myriad, globally exceptional spot concern incentives funded retired of nationalist revenues - latest and astir fashionable present being stamp work abolishment, simply going into higher merchantability prices - and you person the cleanable tempest of artificial request that tin virtually ne'er beryllium met.
It’s clip for Australian media, if not of people politicians, to commencement disrespecting the instrumentality connected the “housing crisis” conveniently offered by the manufacture that profits hugely from it. Doubly truthful present that the “supply crisis” people “demands”, according to the manufacture and its captive politicians, scrapping of what small is near of “red tape”, operation and readying regulations and enforcement. Alex Mattea, Sydney

Respect starts successful the cradle

One of your correspondents refers to home unit perpetrators arsenic “violent, deranged, pathological” (Letters, May 6). Another wonders wherever to commencement with a solution. I was wondering too. Then I spotted the sickening header successful the aforesaid edition: “Private schoolhouse boys suspended aft ‘absolutely outrageous’ ranking of pistillate classmates.” It’s obvious. The commencement constituent is successful the cradle. Brian Haisman, Winmalee

Boys from Yarra Valley Grammar person been suspended for ranking girls successful categories connected a chat group.

Your analogous provides a persuasive presumption astir a severely fragmented Australian “society” and blames it connected america having go “nothing much than an economy”. I’d further specify it arsenic letting the system go the end, alternatively than the means to an end. Eric Hunter, Cook (ACT)

Both the national and authorities governments are providing funds to assistance tackle home violence: federally, $925 cardinal and astatine a authorities level, $230 cardinal (“Funding for victims of home violence”, May 6). Is this federalism astatine enactment oregon knee-jerk responses to beryllium seen to beryllium doing something, alternatively than cautiously processing a genuinely nationalist plan? Neil Buchanan, Waitara

Why should a pistillate and her children permission her location and question a refuge? That seems similar treble unit against them. The perpetrator should beryllium evicted from the home. Rita Zammit, Concord

Women request a wide and easy navigated way to information and independency that is conscionable not determination astatine present. Whatever needs to beryllium done to find it needs to hap for the involvement of women contiguous and those of the future. Answers tin beryllium provided by a royal committee with circumstantial presumption of notation with a steadfast committedness to enactment connected its findings. Australia is dragging its feet connected this contented conscionable arsenic we are connected clime alteration and affordable housing. Mike Keene, Stanwell Park

On speechmaking the tragic communicative of Dannielle Finlay-Jones’ convulsive death, it occurred to maine that dating apps should person a legally enforceable work to undertake a inheritance cheque connected users of their services (“‘It was execution waiting to happen’”, May 6). In this case, a constabulary check, on the lines of those required of radical intending to enactment with children oregon the aged, should person rapidly established that the slayer posed a existent and contiguous information to susceptible radical utilizing its services to find happiness and companionship. Indeed, I fishy that the constabulary would person been precise funny to larn that Ashley Gaddie was utilizing a dating app. John Enders, Tura Beach

It would look that the lone condition successful which Herald letter-writers could beryllium expected to reason a royal committee into home unit is if 1 was projected by Peter Dutton. Chris Love, Wahroonga

Squawk of shame

Former premier curate Julia Gillard continues to service her community, and astir would admit the worth of her clip arsenic the archetypal pistillate successful that presumption of enactment successful which, contempt her number government, she achieved galore worthwhile objectives (“New Jones maltreatment claims”, May 4). Meanwhile, 1 of her main critics successful the media continues to beryllium pursued by a big of sordid allegations. Surely, those who encouraged and applauded the activities of “The Parrot” should present consciousness a consciousness of shame. Derrick Mason, Boorowa

No kudos for wage delay

After spending a mates of nights successful infirmary past period and experiencing the fantabulous enactment performed by nurses doing their placements without pay, I was truthful pleased to perceive that the national authorities would wage these fantastic students astir $320 per week whilst moving (“Student incomes to person further authorities boost arsenic Labor goes aft younker vote”, May 6). To my fearfulness today, I work that this strategy won’t commencement until July 2025 – if the strategy is said to beryllium truthful important arsenic it supports students during a hard fiscal play of their lives and helps them implicit their degrees, past wherefore marque students hold 14 months for the strategy to start? The duplicity of authorities ne'er ceases to amaze me; instrumentality the kudos but hold the commencement for implicit a year. Geoff Lindsay, Thurgoona

Bring backmost HECS discount

PM Albanese tells america that the simplification successful the indexation rates for HECS indebtedness volition marque “an tremendous difference” to students. It is simply a trivial alteration that volition impact our country’s finances successful aboriginal years, agelong aft this authorities has gone. Looking backmost to the aboriginal years of HECS, what helped get fees paid was the upfront discount (then 20 per cent, aboriginal 10 per cent, present nil). When our children were successful university, we paid the discounted magnitude arsenic a signifier of aboriginal inheritance for our children. We went without, but our kids entered the workforce debt-free. Now, if you look astatine the HECS indebtedness successful our nationalist accounts, immoderate 30 per cent has been written disconnected arsenic improbable ever to beryllium recovered. Reinstate the discount and determination volition beryllium meaningful outgo of HECS with the assemblage education. Ian Morison, Forrest (ACT)

M1 confusion

It amazes maine however immoderate radical can’t support a mates of concepts successful their heads astatine the aforesaid clip (Letters, May 4). If idiosyncratic confuses the M1 Metro enactment with the M1 Motorway, they truly shouldn’t beryllium driving. Then determination is the F1 ferry way to see - could it beryllium confused with the F1 Grand Prix? And don’t get maine started connected the M1 carbine. Peter Campbell, Potts Point

The subordinate stops astatine the top

Qantas shareholders volition suffer $120m for the company’s absorption misleading customers (“Qantas to wage $120 cardinal aft settling ACCC lawsuit for misleading customers”, smh.com.au, May 6). The executives and managers liable volition suffer nothing, not a cent. Former CEO Alan Joyce took location $21.4 cardinal successful his past twelvemonth astatine Qantas. This is communal successful Australia; a institution engaging successful mediocre behaviour pays a good from shareholder funds, and absorption loses nothing. It’s wrong: executives request to beryllium held acold much accountable. Steven Lee, Faulconbridge

SUV menace

My section suburban roadworthy is filled with tremendous SUVs muscling along, intimidating less-endowed drivers, filling the rearview reflector menacingly and taking up each inch of immoderate disposable car spots astatine the section buying centre (Letters, May 6). The substance costs of these mini trucks is heading adjacent to $20,000 annually. Many much dollars are required successful servicing costs. However, I would not beryllium amazed if galore of these owners are besides complaining astir the outgo of living. Electric cars are the mode to the future. They tin beryllium plugged into your solar, necessitate precise small servicing and volition prevention thousands of dollars successful the agelong run. Hopefully, the electrical imagination volition besides bring a quieter, safer and little threatening roadworthy experience. Neil Quinn, Vincentia

Driven away

Margot Saville deed each the close boxes for car security (“Who’d wage $3440 to insure my small car? Not me, NRMA”, May 3). I’ve been an NRMA subordinate for implicit 60 years and ever assumed that determination were services disposable for maine due to the fact that of “loyalty” and a harmless driving record. So I went to my past certificate of security for my 2014 Nissan Altima – conscionable implicit 50,000 ks owed to virtual non-use during the pandemic. Insurance went up from $888.23 to $998.40 for an insured agreed worth of $10,600 with an excess of $695. NRMA decided successful their contented to adjacent down the section NRMA bureau past twelvemonth with nary recourse to section members.

Is it worthwhile for america to ain a car? Do we trust connected taxis oregon assistance from friends to get america to church, room and section shops oregon nationalist transport? Ken Hoy, Raymond Terrace

Cronyism costs

It was fascinating to work George Brandis’ portion connected cronyism (“Not corruption, but it is cronyism”, May 6). This is the idiosyncratic who, arsenic attorney-general betwixt 2013 and 2017, oversaw the replacement of much than 70 qualified and experienced members of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal by a cohort of radical heavy populated by erstwhile Liberal and Nationals MPs, staffers and friends. By the extremity of Brandis’ term, gifting jobs to the boys and girls of the enactment had go entrenched behaviour, with the evident enactment of a furniture including Turnbull, Morrison and Dutton. The corrosive signifier of making questionable appointments – determination was nary transparent subordinate enactment process for the full of the Coalition’s 9 years successful authorities – culminated successful the existent government’s determination to abolish the AAT and commencement again. Yes, George, cronyism is bad. And costly. Not lone erstwhile the different mob does it. Stephen Frost, Kingsford

When 1 recalls the blatant stacking of the AAT with the Coalition’s mates, the plethora of high-priced, affable consultants engaged to archer it what it wanted to hear, the costly royal committee into commercialized unions that produced thing much astonishing than the individuality of Julia Gillard’s ex-boyfriend; and the backing heft favouring Coalition seats (or those successful its aim) astatine predetermination times, George Brandis is simply a small precocious with the lecture connected cronyism, bias, and influence-peddling. Adrian Connelly, Springwood

Your columnist laments Labor “cronyism”. Is this the aforesaid George Brandis that was talented a lucrative status occupation arsenic precocious commissioner by the governmental enactment for which helium served arsenic lawyer wide (and custodian of bookshelves)? Philip Bell, Bronte

Small mercies

Thank goodness, we’re successful a La Niña (dry) upwind pattern! Who knows however overmuch rainfall we could person had otherwise? Stewart Copper, Maroubra

Missed opportunity

I couldn’t miss the advertisement successful today’s Herald for the Australian Freedom Conference, to beryllium hosted by Tucker Carlson and Clive Palmer. I’d beryllium blessed to spell but I couldn’t spot connected Ticketek however overmuch they’d wage maine to attend. Hugh Barrett, Sanctuary Point

City bound

I’m not wholly definite astir the bid line, but I tin guarantee Warwick Spencer (Letters, May 6) that the M1 Motorway decidedly heads south. David Calvey, Gosford

Dedicated scribes

I besides lament the demise of missive penning (Letters, May 6). One of the past bastions of this past creation is the renowned Herald Letters section. Dear Letters Editor, delight guarantee america semipermanent contributors that you won’t rebrand it arsenic the Emails column. Peter Mahoney, Oatley

These pages are a testament, Con, to the information that missive penning is not dead. I stock your anticipation that it is not a dying art. Long unrecorded the letter! Lyn Langtry, East Ryde

Ruff saviour

Patron: Saint of Ukraine (“The leader canine truthful fashionable he’s targeted by the Kremlin”, May 6). Jim Dewar, Davistown

To taxable a missive to the Sydney Morning Herald, email letters@smh.com.au. Click here for tips connected however to taxable letters.
The Opinion newsletter is simply a play wrapper of views that volition challenge, champion and inform. Sign up here.

Read Entire Article